diff --git a/base/abstractarray.jl b/base/abstractarray.jl
index 98574dd2cb22c..30541de33c1c2 100644
--- a/base/abstractarray.jl
+++ b/base/abstractarray.jl
@@ -58,6 +58,16 @@ function trailingsize(A, n)
     return s
 end
 
+## Traits for array types ##
+
+abstract LinearIndexing
+immutable LinearFast <: LinearIndexing end
+immutable LinearSlow <: LinearIndexing end
+
+linearindexing(::AbstractArray) = LinearSlow()
+linearindexing(::Array) = LinearFast()
+linearindexing(::Range) = LinearFast()
+
 ## Bounds checking ##
 checkbounds(sz::Int, i::Int) = 1 <= i <= sz || throw(BoundsError())
 checkbounds(sz::Int, i::Real) = checkbounds(sz, to_index(i))
@@ -241,7 +251,8 @@ zero{T}(x::AbstractArray{T}) = fill!(similar(x), zero(T))
 
 ## iteration support for arrays as ranges ##
 
-start(a::AbstractArray) = 1
+start(A::AbstractArray) = _start(A,linearindexing(A))
+_start(::AbstractArray,::LinearFast) = 1
 next(a::AbstractArray,i) = (a[i],i+1)
 done(a::AbstractArray,i) = (i > length(a))
 isempty(a::AbstractArray) = (length(a) == 0)
diff --git a/base/dates/ranges.jl b/base/dates/ranges.jl
index 144c3552567bf..719c680705fa4 100644
--- a/base/dates/ranges.jl
+++ b/base/dates/ranges.jl
@@ -29,5 +29,5 @@ function in{T<:TimeType}(x::T, r::StepRange{T})
 end
 
 Base.start{T<:TimeType}(r::StepRange{T}) = 0
-Base.next{T<:TimeType}(r::StepRange{T}, i) = (r.start+r.step*i,i+1)
+Base.next{T<:TimeType}(r::StepRange{T}, i::Int) = (r.start+r.step*i,i+1)
 Base.done{T<:TimeType,S<:Period}(r::StepRange{T,S}, i::Integer) = length(r) <= i
diff --git a/base/exports.jl b/base/exports.jl
index 5b153f7b3ae9b..f42e76b075a4b 100644
--- a/base/exports.jl
+++ b/base/exports.jl
@@ -515,6 +515,8 @@ export
     cumsum,
     cumsum!,
     cumsum_kbn,
+    eachelement,
+    eachindex,
     extrema,
     fill!,
     fill,
diff --git a/base/multidimensional.jl b/base/multidimensional.jl
index 29c451c8ac5fe..9597fe523ea36 100644
--- a/base/multidimensional.jl
+++ b/base/multidimensional.jl
@@ -1,3 +1,109 @@
+### Multidimensional iterators
+module IteratorsMD
+
+import Base: start, _start, done, next, getindex, setindex!, linearindexing
+import Base: @nref, @ncall, @nif, @nexprs, LinearFast, LinearSlow
+
+export eachindex
+
+# Traits for linear indexing
+linearindexing(::BitArray) = LinearFast()
+
+# Iterator/state
+abstract CartesianIndex{N}       # the state for all multidimensional iterators
+abstract IndexIterator{N}        # Iterator that visits the index associated with each element
+
+stagedfunction Base.call{N}(::Type{CartesianIndex},index::NTuple{N,Int})
+    indextype,itertype=gen_cartesian(N)
+    return :($indextype(index))
+end
+stagedfunction Base.call{N}(::Type{IndexIterator},index::NTuple{N,Int})
+    indextype,itertype=gen_cartesian(N)
+    return :($itertype(index))
+end
+
+let implemented = IntSet()
+global gen_cartesian
+function gen_cartesian(N::Int, with_shared=Base.is_unix(OS_NAME))
+    # Create the types
+    indextype = symbol("CartesianIndex_$N")
+    itertype = symbol("IndexIterator_$N")
+    if !in(N,implemented)
+        fieldnames = [symbol("I_$i") for i = 1:N]
+        fields = [Expr(:(::), fieldnames[i], :Int) for i = 1:N]
+        extype = Expr(:type, false, Expr(:(<:), indextype, Expr(:curly, :CartesianIndex, N)), Expr(:block, fields...))
+        exindices = Expr[:(index[$i]) for i = 1:N]
+
+        onesN   = ones(Int, N)
+        infsN   = fill(typemax(Int), N)
+        anyzero = Expr(:(||), [:(iter.dims.$(fieldnames[i]) == 0) for i = 1:N]...)
+
+        # Some necessary ambiguity resolution
+        exrange = N != 1 ? nothing : quote
+            next(R::StepRange, I::CartesianIndex_1) = R[I.I_1], CartesianIndex_1(I.I_1+1)
+            next{T}(R::UnitRange{T}, I::CartesianIndex_1) = R[I.I_1], CartesianIndex_1(I.I_1+1)
+        end
+        exshared = !with_shared ? nothing : quote
+            getindex{T}(S::SharedArray{T,$N}, I::$indextype) = S.s[I]
+            setindex!{T}(S::SharedArray{T,$N}, v, I::$indextype) = S.s[I] = v
+        end
+        totalex = quote
+            # type definition
+            $extype
+            # extra constructor from tuple
+            $indextype(index::NTuple{$N,Int}) = $indextype($(exindices...))
+
+            immutable $itertype <: IndexIterator{$N}
+                dims::$indextype
+            end
+            $itertype(dims::NTuple{$N,Int})=$itertype($indextype(dims))
+
+            # getindex and setindex!
+            $exshared
+            getindex{T}(A::AbstractArray{T,$N}, index::$indextype) = @nref $N A d->getfield(index,d)
+            setindex!{T}(A::AbstractArray{T,$N}, v, index::$indextype) = (@nref $N A d->getfield(index,d)) = v
+
+            # next iteration
+            $exrange
+            @inline function next{T}(A::AbstractArray{T,$N}, state::$indextype)
+                @inbounds v = A[state]
+                newstate = @nif $N d->(getfield(state,d) < size(A, d)) d->(@ncall($N, $indextype, k->(k>d ? getfield(state,k) : k==d ? getfield(state,k)+1 : 1)))
+                v, newstate
+            end
+            @inline function next(iter::$itertype, state::$indextype)
+                newstate = @nif $N d->(getfield(state,d) < getfield(iter.dims,d)) d->(@ncall($N, $indextype, k->(k>d ? getfield(state,k) : k==d ? getfield(state,k)+1 : 1)))
+                state, newstate
+            end
+
+            # start
+            start(iter::$itertype) = $anyzero ? $indextype($(infsN...)) : $indextype($(onesN...))
+        end
+        eval(totalex)
+        push!(implemented,N)
+    end
+    return indextype, itertype
+end
+end
+
+# Iteration
+eachindex(A::AbstractArray) = IndexIterator(size(A))
+
+# start iteration
+_start{T,N}(A::AbstractArray{T,N},::LinearSlow) = CartesianIndex(ntuple(N,n->ifelse(isempty(A),typemax(Int),1))::NTuple{N,Int})
+
+# Ambiguity resolution
+done(R::StepRange, I::CartesianIndex{1}) = getfield(I, 1) > length(R)
+done(R::UnitRange, I::CartesianIndex{1}) = getfield(I, 1) > length(R)
+done(R::FloatRange, I::CartesianIndex{1}) = getfield(I, 1) > length(R)
+
+done{T,N}(A::AbstractArray{T,N}, I::CartesianIndex{N}) = getfield(I, N) > size(A, N)
+done{N}(iter::IndexIterator{N}, I::CartesianIndex{N}) = getfield(I, N) > getfield(iter.dims, N)
+
+end  # IteratorsMD
+
+using .IteratorsMD
+
+
 ### From array.jl
 
 @ngenerate N Void function checksize(A::AbstractArray, I::NTuple{N, Any}...)
diff --git a/base/range.jl b/base/range.jl
index 1cf7f5f4d431a..7c21201509bff 100644
--- a/base/range.jl
+++ b/base/range.jl
@@ -235,8 +235,8 @@ copy(r::Range) = r
 ## iteration
 
 start(r::FloatRange) = 0
-next{T}(r::FloatRange{T}, i) = (convert(T, (r.start + i*r.step)/r.divisor), i+1)
-done(r::FloatRange, i) = (length(r) <= i)
+next{T}(r::FloatRange{T}, i::Int) = (convert(T, (r.start + i*r.step)/r.divisor), i+1)
+done(r::FloatRange, i::Int) = (length(r) <= i)
 
 # NOTE: For ordinal ranges, we assume start+step might be from a
 # lifted domain (e.g. Int8+Int8 => Int); use that for iterating.
diff --git a/base/sharedarray.jl b/base/sharedarray.jl
index 2c22a36cc9ead..51a78f1e15a96 100644
--- a/base/sharedarray.jl
+++ b/base/sharedarray.jl
@@ -206,16 +206,16 @@ end
 
 convert(::Type{Array}, S::SharedArray) = S.s
 
-# # pass through getindex and setindex! - they always work on the complete array unlike DArrays
+# pass through getindex and setindex! - they always work on the complete array unlike DArrays
 getindex(S::SharedArray) = getindex(S.s)
 getindex(S::SharedArray, I::Real) = getindex(S.s, I)
 getindex(S::SharedArray, I::AbstractArray) = getindex(S.s, I)
 @nsplat N 1:5 getindex(S::SharedArray, I::NTuple{N,Any}...) = getindex(S.s, I...)
 
-setindex!(S::SharedArray, x) = (setindex!(S.s, x); S)
-setindex!(S::SharedArray, x, I::Real) = (setindex!(S.s, x, I); S)
-setindex!(S::SharedArray, x, I::AbstractArray) = (setindex!(S.s, x, I); S)
-@nsplat N 1:5 setindex!(S::SharedArray, x, I::NTuple{N,Any}...) = (setindex!(S.s, x, I...); S)
+setindex!(S::SharedArray, x) = setindex!(S.s, x)
+setindex!(S::SharedArray, x, I::Real) = setindex!(S.s, x, I)
+setindex!(S::SharedArray, x, I::AbstractArray) = setindex!(S.s, x, I)
+@nsplat N 1:5 setindex!(S::SharedArray, x, I::NTuple{N,Any}...) = setindex!(S.s, x, I...)
 
 function fill!(S::SharedArray, v)
     f = S->fill!(S.loc_subarr_1d, v)
@@ -377,5 +377,3 @@ end
 end
 
 @unix_only shm_open(shm_seg_name, oflags, permissions) = ccall(:shm_open, Int, (Ptr{UInt8}, Int, Int), shm_seg_name, oflags, permissions)
-
-
diff --git a/test/arrayops.jl b/test/arrayops.jl
index 143f7688655e0..00f6b5e673809 100644
--- a/test/arrayops.jl
+++ b/test/arrayops.jl
@@ -925,3 +925,54 @@ end
 b718cbc = 5
 @test b718cbc[1.0] == 5
 @test_throws InexactError b718cbc[1.1]
+
+# Multidimensional iterators
+function mdsum(A)
+    s = 0.0
+    for a in A
+        s += a
+    end
+    s
+end
+
+function mdsum2(A)
+    s = 0.0
+    @inbounds for I in eachindex(A)
+        s += A[I]
+    end
+    s
+end
+
+a = [1:5]
+@test isa(Base.linearindexing(a), Base.LinearFast)
+b = sub(a, :)
+@test isa(Base.linearindexing(b), Base.IteratorsMD.LinearSlow)
+shp = [5]
+for i = 1:10
+    A = reshape(a, tuple(shp...))
+    @test mdsum(A) == 15
+    @test mdsum2(A) == 15
+    B = sub(A, ntuple(i, i->Colon())...)
+    @test mdsum(B) == 15
+    @test mdsum2(B) == 15
+    unshift!(shp, 1)
+end
+
+a = [1:10]
+shp = [2,5]
+for i = 2:10
+    A = reshape(a, tuple(shp...))
+    @test mdsum(A) == 55
+    @test mdsum2(A) == 55
+    B = sub(A, ntuple(i, i->Colon())...)
+    @test mdsum(B) == 55
+    @test mdsum2(B) == 55
+    insert!(shp, 2, 1)
+end
+
+a = ones(0,5)
+b = sub(a, :, :)
+@test mdsum(b) == 0
+a = ones(5,0)
+b = sub(a, :, :)
+@test mdsum(b) == 0